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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23180908">I Can Taste Your Lipstick (But it's All in My Head)</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account'>orphan_account</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Penumbra Podcast</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Blood, Episode Rewrite: s01e01-02 Juno Steel and the Case of the Murderous Mask, Film Noir, How Do I Tag, Idiots in Love, Kinda, Let Juno Steel Say Fuck, Light Angst, M/M, Mild Hurt/Comfort, Mild Language, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rita is a Good Friend (Penumbra Podcast), Slow Burn, Tags May Change, btw the violence warning is a very brief scene look for the text in bold, but not really kinda, but the whole aesthetic is there, different, first fic kinda nervous, i would die for her, in chapters 1 and 2, its not an au its just, like if you squint - Freeform, not the actual film noir era cuz ew, theyre both idiots</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-03-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-01 16:00:16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>14,808</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23180908</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>*I don't plan on continuing this one but I hope its still enjoyable</p><p>Private Eye Detective Juno Steel has been after the same elusive thief for months. A pattern formed when Ancient Martian artifacts began vanishing from all over Mars. Now the thief has come to Hyperion City, and Juno is certain that their next target is the Death Mask of Grimpotheuthis - Property of the Kanagawa Crime-Family-Slash-Entertainment-Network, which conveniently will be displayed at the Kanagawas' next big cocktail party. So, Juno secures himself an invite so he can finally catch his suspect and close the case for good.</p><p>What he was not prepared for, however, was that this nameless thief is very, very pretty.</p><p>Juno gets a little sidetracked.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Juno Steel - Relationship, Peter Nureyev/Juno Steel, Rita &amp; Juno Steel</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>26</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title is from Talia by King Princess. The violence warning is for one scene in this chapter, keep an eye out for the bold text! It's fairly tame but I still put it there just in case.</p><p>Anyways I wanna thank my girl Sam for helping me as I was writing this, writer's block is a bitch but she's my savior. We both wanted film noir Junoverse so I decided to write it into reality and it probably wouldn't be half as good without her help lmao</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Kanagawas knew how to throw a party. The bar was stocked, and across the room were long tables piled high with food. High above Juno’s head were dazzling chandeliers, with glistening crystals that scattered fragments of light all across the room. Lilting tones of instrumental music flowed between passing conversations, strong brass and hypnotic vocals. </p><p>Juno fixed his collar as he leaned back against the bar, legs crossed, a glass of scotch in hand. He scanned the crowd, which was bustling with dancing people and sounds of idle chatter. Voices of some of the richest people on Mars - hushed whispers of gossip, fake, restrained laughter, mixed with smooth and inviting voices that one could so easily get wrapped up in. Glittering jewels on exposed, shimmering skin, manicured nails, pressed coats and sharp collars, stilettos that clicked across the pristine marble floors. Everyone here was practically gleaming.</p><p>That is to say, Juno felt <em> extremely </em> out of his element. </p><p>And he would have looked so, too, if not for Cecil sending him a ridiculous outfit in the mail. Something about “keeping up appearances,” and <em> obviously </em> it made sense, but Juno was still complaining - because Cecil wouldn’t dare miss an opportunity to make Juno look flashy.  Guaranteed, it wasn’t much compared to some of the other patrons at the party, the sheer blouse embroidered with sequins, the earrings, the high heels (which were <em> killing </em>his feet). . . His coat was somewhere by the entrance to the building, where a Kanagawa cousin had taken it, and Juno already missed its swallowing comfort. His tie was fastened loose around his neck, and he fiddled with it, though he refused to tighten it. </p><p>Instead of focusing on how annoyed he was with the current circumstances, he concentrated on the display cases across the room. Being the richest, most influential media family on Mars, the Kanagawas made sure they had the artifacts to say for it, and at parties like these they <em> loved </em> showing them off. Precious metals and jewels, ancient Earth technologies, weapons and torture devices from past revolutions (Cecil’s addition) and the object of everyone’s affection - the Mask of Grimpotheuthis. An ancient Martian mask, surrounded with legend and mystery, dug up years ago by Croesus Kanagawa himself. It was quite an ugly thing, really, with too many eyes and a gaping, distressed maw, and rows of strange teeth. It was locked in a case across the room, centered and raised above the rest of the display, a spotlight casting it in bright light and glory. </p><p>Juno kept a trained eye on anyone who came too close - he didn’t know what his perp looked like, but he had observed their patterns over the past several months - Ancient martian artifacts mysteriously going missing without a single trace of who or what took them, and Juno was sure the mask was their next target. The Kanagawas had been kind enough to give him a listing of all the guests attending the gathering, and that’s when Juno discovered Mr. Rex Glass - the man without a past. Not a single record, not in any census from Mercury to Pluto. Nothing. This was their guy, this was the guy Juno had been chasing for goddamn <em> months, </em> and he was going to be here, tonight, and he’d finally-</p><p>Juno’s train of thought was halted abruptly by a chime, followed by his secretary’s excited voice in his ear. </p><p>“Mistah <em> Steeeeeel </em>!” </p><p>Juno flinched, reaching up to his ear piece even though it wouldn’t help any. “<em> Rita,” </em> he muttered, trying to remain discreet, “would you mind keeping it down just a <em> little </em>?” </p><p>Rita gasped, and her voice immediately softened to a whisper. “Oh, sorry, boss! I’m just so excited for tonight. Y’know, you’ve been so wrapped up with this Glass guy, and you barely have time to watch streams with me anymore, and Werewolves on the Moon is gettin’ <em> real </em>good this season and you’re so lucky I’m tapin ‘em all for you-”</p><p>“<em> Rita </em> !” Juno hissed, cutting her off. “That all sounds just <em> lovely </em> but please remind me what you called me for?” He sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. </p><p>“Oh, what was I. . . Oh! OH! Well, Mistah Glass just arrived!”</p><p>“<em> What. </em>”</p><p>“Yes, sir! The Kanagawas at the door just signed in a man by the name of Rex Glass, and-” Rita erupted into giggles- “mmmhmhmmheheheh, you’re gonna like him Mistah Steel, he’s real pretty!”</p><p>“Come on, Rita, this is a mission, not a dating show.” Juno sighed in exasperation. “We’re dealing with a full-blown criminal, not a potential bachelor.” </p><p>“We’ll see about that, boss.”</p><p>“Rita. . .”</p><p>“Oh-! OH! The commercial’s over! I gotta go <em> now </em>, boss!”</p><p>“Rita-”</p><p>“He’s comin’ in through the main entrance, boss, you can’t miss him! Call me if you need anything!”</p><p>“<em> Rita </em>!”</p><p>“Byyyyyyyyeeeeee!” </p><p>“RI-”</p><p>And she hung up. </p><p>Juno exhaled and glanced toward the big double doors to his left and-</p><p>Oh.</p><p>Well, Rita wasn’t exactly wrong about their suspect.</p><p>Jet black waves were slicked back, flawless except for a cowlick that fell gently over the man’s pale skin. Glasses, with thin black frames, and through the sparkle of the tinted lenses Juno could see his eyes, which carried a glint of charm and confidence. His face was sculpted, strong cheekbones and sharp features, a jawline that could cut Juno in half, he looked so sinister yet somehow. . . So <em> soft </em> . Trailing his eyes down, Juno observed a string of pearls around the man’s neck, stark against a black dress, flowing and loose yet somehow perfectly form-fitting. A corset around his waist, black and fastened with white laces, and below that, a flowing skirt with a slit cut through it to expose long legs. As if he wasn’t tall enough, Glass wore heels and Juno swore he could <em> hear </em> him step into the room from his spot, all the way across the room at the bar.</p><p>Somehow, Juno caught his eye, and Glass flashed him a half-smile. Sharp canine teeth, not exactly vampyric, but somehow inviting. Like a cat.</p><p> Like a fox. </p><p><em> Dangerous </em>.</p><p>Something welled up in Juno that he couldn’t name, something similar to terror yet at the same time, nothing like it. He let out a breath he didn’t know he was holding and tore his eyes away. </p><p>
  <em> This is going to fucking suck, isn’t it? </em>
</p><p>It was at this moment that Juno realized, now that he finally had Rex Glass in sight, he didn’t know how the hell he was supposed to catch him. There was never any solid evidence left behind in the past crimes - Juno knew Glass was going to steal the mask, but he didn’t know how. And with the room full of people, and plenty of them admiring the Kanagawa’s possessions from both up close and afar, it was hard to believe the thief would be able to manage it.</p><p>Juno knew not to underestimate him, though. </p><p>He glanced back up at the Mask, and it was still there, just as it had been, perfect in its display case. And then, he chanced a glimpse at Glass, and- <em> Fuck. </em></p><p>He was coming <em> right </em> towards Juno.</p><p>Juno’s mind raced a mile a minute, and he hid his face by taking another long swig of his scotch, but his shock caused him to choke. He desperately hid his embarrassment behind a socially-acceptable amount of coughs, and then had virtually no choice but to hold his breath for a second. Did Glass know who he was? Had he picked up that Juno was on his trail, somehow? If Glass was prepared for Juno, and Juno was in now way prepared for glass, that would throw <em> everything </em> out of proportion-</p><p>“Hello there, darling.” </p><p>Juno stifled the shiver that dared to travel throughout his entire body. A smooth voice, accompanied by an Outer-Rim accent. With Glass’ presence came an intoxicating smell, something like spices and synth-sandalwood, and something else that felt like it came from another world entirely. </p><p>He coughed again in an effort to clear his throat and tried to smile. “Um, yeah, uh- hi.”</p><p>Glass chuckled softly at Juno’s spluttering, motioned to the bartender and ordered a drink - something fancy, Juno observed, a “Manhattan,” a cocktail once popular on Earth. Glass propped his elbows atop the bar, resting his chin on a manicured hand. He glanced at Juno from the corner of his eye, and flashed that half-smile again. </p><p>“This kind of function isn’t quite your cup of tea, is it?” Glass observed, his other hand wrapped around his drink. He took a tentative sip at first, and then decided the drink was up to standard and hummed, pleased.</p><p>“How could you tell?” Juno found himself picking at the cuff of his blouse subconsciously, but then a gentle hand was laid atop his own, making him stop his fidgeting. </p><p>“You’re wound up like a spring. You seem ready to pounce at any second,” Glass mused. He gently drummed his fingertips atop the back of Juno’s hand. “So what brings you here?” </p><p>“Uhm.” Juno’s throat felt dry. He considered lying, if only for a moment, but why would he? What difference would it make? “I. . . One of the Kanagawa twins is an old friend of mine,” he offered, gently pulling his hand away from Glass’. If he minded, he didn’t show it. </p><p>The taller man merely nodded, taking another sip from his drink. “Rex Glass,” he introduced himself, turning his body to face the detective. Juno nodded in acknowledgement.</p><p>“Juno Steel.”</p><p>“Juno,” Rex echoed, as if trying the name out, testing how the simple syllables rolled over his tongue as if he had just learned a brand new word. “That sounds. . . Familiar somehow. What a name. Juno. . .”</p><p>Juno bristled, only slightly. “Yeah, uh. Don’t wear it out or anything,” he muttered, taking another sip of his drink (and making sure not to choke on it this time). “So, why are you here?”</p><p>“Similar to you, I suppose. I’ve done business with the Kanagawas before. They enjoy my company and I enjoy their luxuries.” Rex hummed. </p><p><em> Bullshit, </em> Juno thought, but he got so lost in that voice that he nearly considered it. </p><p>The small talk would have continued if not for Cecil Kanagawa’s melodic voice, which rang loud over the entire audience. Cecil was perched at the top of a staircase at the far end of the room, across from the main entrance, high above the display cases. His outfit was the flashiest of all, and his bionic arm glittered in the light of the chandeliers. </p><p>“Ladies, gentlemen, esteemed guests, royalty, friends, family, whoever you may be. . . I’d like to formally address you all, and extend my family’s thanks for coming tonight. Please, don’t hesitate to help yourself to refreshments, dance, socialize, and of course, admire our many articles of affection - we have <em> plenty </em> to show off.” Cecil may have winked in Juno’s direction then, but it was too quick to notice. “My father will be out momentarily to greet you, I know some of you desperately await his arrival. He-”</p><p>“Croesus Kanagawa, in the flesh.” Rex commented, speaking close to Juno’s ear to ensure he was heard. This time, Juno did shiver. He tried to focus on the task at hand. The effect this man had on him was. . . Ridiculous.</p><p>“They love the admiration more than anything.” Juno sighed. Rex only hummed in response.</p><p>“Care for a dance, Juno?”</p><p>“<em>What </em>?”</p><p>“A dance. With me,” Rex clarified, seemingly pleased to have caught the PI off-guard. </p><p>“I- Uh.” Juno faltered. <em> Say no, </em> he thought to himself. <em> Say no. Don’t let him blindside you like this. </em></p><p>“Sure.”</p><p>
  <em> Fuck.</em>
</p><p> </p><p>Though Glass wore such a delicate-looking dress, he sure as hell knew how to lead.</p><p>Strong arms were wrapped around Juno. Rex dipped him, twirled him until he was about to get dizzy, then just as quick held him close again and swayed. Juno certainly had a few mishaps in his attempts to keep up, but Rex didn’t mind when the detective stepped on his feet or stumbled, he only kept going. </p><p>Juno’s heart was beating fast enough to concern him, so he patted Rex gently on the shoulder and slowed his steps. Rex took the hint and did the same. He hardly seemed winded. <em> Bastard.  </em></p><p>“Are you alright, Juno?” Rex had one arm wrapped around the PI’s waist, and his free hand was intertwined with the other man’s. There was tension between his brows - concern. Whether or not it was feigned, Juno couldn’t tell. He took a deep breath. </p><p>“Yeah, just, um. . . Need some air.” Their pace had slowed but Juno’s heart still raced. He couldn’t figure out why. </p><p>“It <em> is </em> quite warm in here,” Rex noted, “Shall I take you somewhere more quiet?”</p><p>Juno felt his face flush, and he coughed as he nodded. Rex let go of Juno’s hand, and moved his other to the small of his back. He led him across the floor, then outside the ballroom to a pristine hallway with the occasional painting or decorative plant along its walls. Juno leaned against the wall and tried to catch his breath again.</p><p>“Claustrophobic, perhaps?” Rex asked.</p><p>“No,” Juno breathed. “Just uh, I’ve never. . . Nevermind.” </p><p>Rex nodded. He didn’t pry. Juno had to remind himself of who he was talking to - a thief. The very thief he’d been looking for, for a <em> long </em> time. He could finally close this damn case tonight, lock it away forever, if only he could keep his focus.</p><p>But there was so much evidence of <em> good </em> character in Rex, that sometimes, if only for a second, he allowed himself to ignore the circumstances. </p><p>Juno glanced back into the ballroom, across the people milling around, dancing, drinking, laughing, and he strained his eyes to take a look at the mask in it’s display case - </p><p>But it was empty.</p><p>“What the hell!”</p><p>“Juno? Whats wr- Oh. The mask, it’s-”</p><p>“Yeah, gone. What the <em> hell </em> did you do, Glass?” Juno felt very awake all of a sudden. He’d been with Glass the <em> whole </em> time, there was no way he’d have gotten close enough to steal the mask, unless he wasn’t working alone. </p><p>“What did <em> I- </em> Juno, I have no idea what you’re talking-”</p><p>A shout down the hallway. No, a scream. Deep, pained, and then abruptly cut off. Juno suddenly forgot about the mask and Rex entirely.</p><p>“That sounded like it came from around the corner,” Rex seemed startled - genuinely. Whatever was happening right now, it probably wasn't according to Glass' plans. And that terrified Juno.</p><p>“Yeah, no shit. I’m gonna check it out-”</p><p>“Juno, it could be dangerous-” </p><p>“Oh, really? Thanks, Glass, I didn’t even <em> think </em> of that-” </p><p>“I’m not just letting you go alone-”</p><p>“Well, it’s your lucky day, then, ‘cuz that’s the whole damn point. I’m not letting you out of my sight. C’mon.”</p><p>Glass seemed at a loss for words as Juno took off, suddenly full of energy, heeled boots slamming against the tiles. The thief followed, running effortlessly in his high heels.</p><p> </p><p>Juno rounded the corner and crouched down to catch his breath, a hand against the wall. He heard Rex close behind him and didn’t bother to look up.</p><p>“. . . My, what a scene.”</p><p>Juno finally glanced up and immediately regretted it.</p><p><b>Blood and gore</b> covered the scene. On the floor lay the body of Croesus Kanagawa, mangled and nearly unrecognizable - had their last encounter not been so unpleasant, Juno wouldn’t have realized it was him. The mask seemed to have clamped onto Croesus’ skull with strong, sharp talons, and pulled his head apart in three pieces. What remained of his face was gone, replaced by three martian faces and ten times as many eyes that stared onward into the beyond, three mouths twisted and gaping in a permanent scream. Blood was still gushing from the fresh, jagged rifts in his head, forming a sickening crimson pool. If Juno looked close enough at the faults, he could see-</p><p><b>Juno decided to stop looking</b> in favor of hunching over and dry heaving right against the wall. He felt a gentle hand on his back - Glass’ hand - and to Juno’s surprise, it brought him some comfort. He stood up on shaky legs, and felt Rex wrap an arm around his shoulder. He knew he had to pull away, but. . . </p><p>It was nice. Being held like this. It was a comfort he had never experienced before, receiving such sympathy during a gruesome scene, and. . . For a change, it was really satisfying.</p><p><em> Damn it, don’t get so soft all of a sudden. He’s a criminal. He doesn’t care about you. He doesn’t </em> care <em> about you. He doesn’t- </em></p><p>“Dad? Hey, dad, it’s almost time, your audience is waiting!” Juno recognized that voice. Sharp, strong and confident, that voice was always accompanied by bleach-damaged hair and distressed jeans, a style lost to time on Earth centuries ago, but Cass was bringing it back to Hyperion City with full-force. Mars still found comfort in the decade’s fashion - swing music, little black dresses, spats and pressed suits, long coats and leather dress shoes - but Cassandra Kanagawa always loved to challenge the status-quo. And so did all her fans, which were slowly taking over a good portion of the solar system. The Kanagawas’ popularity was endless. </p><p>“Daaaad, I- Holy <em> shit. </em> Is-” Juno turned around as Cass rounded the corner, and her face dropped in absolute horror. She glanced up at Juno, tearing her eyes away from her father’s corpse. “Juno-? You- what the <em> fuck </em> happened? Is- Is that. . . Dad?” Despite her father being utterly unidentifiable, Cass knew immediately who it was - she just didn’t seem to want to believe it.</p><p>Juno didn’t exactly want to confirm her fears, either. He <em> liked </em>Cass. They used to be good friends, and even if that was a long time ago, he. . . Didn’t want to watch her go through this alone. He had to admit he was a bit biased, though, because for a moment he hardly questioned Cass’ sudden arrival.</p><p>“I. . . Shit, I’m. . . So sorry, Cass.” Juno muttered, offering her a hand, but Cass smacked it away, taking a step back.</p><p>“No, don’t <em> fucking </em> touch me, Juno!” She shouted, crossing her arms over her chest. Juno vaguely noted that one of her hands was wrapped in a bandage. “Look, you and dad had some <em> major </em> issues the last time you saw each other, how am I supposed to know you didn’t-” </p><p>“Miss Kanagawa-” Rex began, but Juno cut him off.</p><p>“Whoa, whoa, Cass, slow down. Think for a second. I couldn’t have done this. That mask was in a locked display case all night, <em> I </em> called <em> you </em> up because I thought it was going to be stolen, and it was, and now Croesus is. . . Look. You have a detective right at your disposal, let me help you out here.” </p><p>“Detective?” Rex murmured. Juno exhaled heavily, reluctantly pulling himself free of Rex’s embrace. Slowly, Cass began to nod.</p><p>“Yeah, I. . . Sorry, Juno. The mask. . . The lock on the case could only be opened by Croesus’ blood, I don’t. . . Know what could have happened, Juno.” Cass let out a shaky breath, finally meeting the detective’s eyes.</p><p>Juno scoffed. “Yeah, well we have a record thief right here, so that answers that.” He cast an accusatory glance at Glass, who’s eyebrows knitted together in confusion. </p><p>“Me? Juno. . .”</p><p>“Wait, Rex Glass? Why would he-” Cass began, and Juno found himself whipping around in shock.</p><p>“You <em> know </em> him, Cass? What the <em> hell </em> is going on here-”</p><p>“Rex works for Dark Matters, Juno. They have the same suspicions as you do-”</p><p>Suddenly, Juno felt furious. “Dark Matters!? You guys let <em> Dark Matters </em> in on this? I called you, Cass, to warn you because <em> I </em> knew someone was after the mask, and you didn’t tell me Dark Matters was involved?”</p><p>“. . . You didn’t call <em> me </em>, Juno.” Cass looked perplexed.</p><p>“What? Yes I did, I called the estate, you picked up the phone, I- Fuck. <em> Cecil. </em>”</p><p>“Cecil,” Cass echoed, “Cecil answered you.”</p><p>“<em> Cecil, </em> ” Juno groaned. “Of course it was Cecil. And- Cecil was sitting right above the display case earlier. It must have been him. You said it took Croesus’ blood, yeah? Well you <em> are </em> his kids, but why would he. . .” </p><p>“Dad signed off on my show,” Cass blurted. Juno stopped his rambling and gazed at her quizzically, prompting her to continue. “Both me and Cecil had shows in mind. Dad could only make room for one, and he chose mine. We had everything planned out, Juno, we were going to go on air next month and he was gonna help me arrange everything - but Cecil’s show. . .”</p><p>“Cecil got upset. Upset enough to crave revenge, even, huh?” Juno huffed. “He’s always been pretty out of his mind, in his own way, his obsessions with weapons and torture machines-” He peeked again at Croesus’ body- “It all. . . adds up, huh?”</p><p>But Juno knew the Kanagawas. Something was still wrong, he could sense it. They were a media family, they were good at acting, or at least at framing the truth in a way that hid the ugly parts of the big picture. There were still a few things Juno was uncertain about and he was keen on getting to the bottom of it.</p><p>“I don’t wanna talk about this anymore, Juno.” Cass murmured, already turning away. Juno nodded, deciding he’d let it go for the moment.</p><p>“Yeah, uh. . . We’ll take it from here, Cass. Do you know where Cecil may be?”</p><p>“The studio,” Cass said.</p><p>“Okay. Go find Min. Tell her what happened.”</p><p>Cass seemed eager to leave, and Juno didn’t turn around again until the sound of her hurried footsteps disappeared down the hallway. </p><p>“She’s hiding something,” Rex evaluated, and when Juno turned to face him he saw that Glass was crouched over the body, examining it closely. “Fortunately, this was very recent, so it’s much easier to investigate this way.” He cast another one of those sharp smiles toward Juno, and the detective felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. He pressed a hand there to calm himself.</p><p>“You think she did it?” Juno queried, trying his best to look at Rex and not the mess of a corpse on the floor.</p><p>“Too early to tell,” Glass remarked, standing up straight and beginning to walk off from the scene. “Let’s go investigate her twin, yes?” </p><p>Glass seemed. . . Reserved, suddenly. Standoffish. Juno quickly realized that that was probably his fault. He pursed his lips, pondering a solution, and before he could really think it over, his feet were bringing him closer to Rex and Juno’s hand was already wrapped gently around his wrist. The gentle contact was enough to make the taller man stop in his tracks, and he craned his neck to look at Juno. There was a faint trace of surprise in his eyes, followed by bemusement, and Juno could already feel himself shrinking under Glass’ intense gaze.</p><p>“So, uh, Dark Matters?” Juno chuckled nervously. </p><p>Glass nodded, “Detective?” He countered, beginning to pull his arm away. </p><p>“H-Hey, look. I shouldn’t have accused you,” Juno began stammering, “I’ve been after this thief for <em> months </em> and when I looked through the guest list, and I looked into you who had absolutely no record of prior existence I assumed you were- I didn’t know Dark Matters was involved, so I-”</p><p>“Apology accepted, Detective.” Rex gingerly interrupted Juno with a soft laugh, and the shorter man felt his face flush. “Relax. We’re here for the same purpose, yes? I believe it’s best if we work together,” Rex offered, and god, Juno accepted. He was still wary of the man, sure, but there was something about him that left Juno feeling. . .</p><p>Glass fixed their position by taking Juno’s hand and leading him down the hallway. “I have the floorplan of the estate memorized, but it’s quite a walk to the studio,” he explained. “Cecil Kanagawa is not an easy man to miss, though. I’m sure we’ll find him in no time at all.”</p><p>“Something still isn’t sitting right with me,” Juno said. “There’s always some kind of twist when it comes to a Kanagawa case. The minute you think you have it, they pull a one-eighty, and you’re back to square one.”</p><p>“Hm,” Rex hummed in thought. “Let’s try to stay on our toes, then.”</p><p> </p><p>Juno could only nod in response. As they walked down the long hallways of the Kanagawa estate, Juno found his eyes fixed on Rex. Starting with his dark ringlets of hair, trailing down the line of his jaw, the pearls around his neck nestled atop exposed collarbones and shoulders, then further into an abyss of black velvet. Juno looked at their intertwined hands and took note of the ring Glass wore on his middle finger - a large gemstone, onyx black, surrounded by smaller white stones and framed in silver. Glass held his hand so gingerly, guiding him through the hallways as if letting go meant parting forever. His legs were long, and he was far taller than Juno, even though the detective wore heels. Juno envied the agent’s ability to walk so perfectly, even in tall stilettos - Rex had spent the whole night walking and dancing and he hardly seemed bothered.</p><p>Rex Glass was. . . <em> Beautiful, </em> Juno finally decided.</p><p>The swelling in his chest from earlier returned - the unnamed feeling he had gotten when Glass had first flashed him that fox-like smile, the one so similar to fear. . . It wrapped around Juno’s heart with an iron grip and <em> squeezed </em>, making him frantic, making his breath catch in his throat. </p><p>Juno didn't like this feeling, was what he decided next. It frightened him.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I want to start off by saying sorry this took such a long time! The pandemic is really kicking my ass and for a while I put off writing. It was difficult to find the motivation, so some parts of these chapters were written at drastically different times, etc etc. It is a lot longer than the first chapter, too. As of now I have to work on plotting out Train from Nowhere so I'm sorry if that takes me a while too because I have virtually no work ethic</p>
<p>Also thanks again to Sam for reading all of this over with me and giving me the proper moral support to continue lol</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Glass led Juno through turn after turn, a pensive expression on his face - brows knitted together just slightly, every so often the man would purse his lips or bite his bottom one. Eventually, they came to a traditional library, with real books with real covers and real pages. Some looked incredibly old. In the far corner of the room was a grand piano, and in the center of the room were sofas and recliners arranged in a lazy circle around a large coffee table. Synth-mahogany bookcases lined three of the four walls, and the far wall was lined with high windows and embroidered curtains. The library had two stories, separated by a balcony which could be accessed by a spiral staircase. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Here,” Rex affirmed, letting go of Juno’s hand as he started up the stairs. The PI followed close behind as Glass ambled across the balcony, scanning the bookshelves along the wall. Juno fixed a look at him, perplexed, head cocked slightly to one side like a martian puppy as he observed the agent. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Uh, ‘here’? I don’t see anything of importance. Or anyone,” Juno noted, joining Glass’ side and examining the books’ spines. “Y’know, Rex, as much as I would love to take a break from this whole brutal murder thing, it’s not exactly a good time for some light reading-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I would have to agree. I’m not looking for a bestseller, Juno. I’m trying to find the lever.” The smile Rex cast toward Juno was smug - he watched the cogs turn in the detective’s head before the shorter man lit up with realization.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Lever? What- </span>
  <em>
    <span>Oh.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Right. Of course the Kanagawas have one of those fancy hidden doors,” Juno huffed in exasperation. Ever so over the top, this family. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“This wall, right here. Fourth shelf from the top, perfectly at arm’s reach. Or was it the third?” Rex chuckled, poking fun at their difference in height. “Start pulling books.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>They took opposite ends of the bookshelf, about fifteen feet apart from each other, and began pulling books - one by one.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So what can we expect from the Kanagawa family?” Rex asked. His pace was leisurely - he’d pull a book from the shelf, wait a moment, return it to its spot and repeat. Juno was growing more and more impatient by the second.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What, have you never seen one of their streams? They’re ridiculous.” Juno glanced toward Glass, who returned his gaze with an expectant look, prompting him to continue. Juno’s eyes widened. “Oh. You haven’t.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m afraid I’m not exactly familiar with Mars, if you couldn’t tell.” Glass voiced, playfully emphasizing his outer-rim accent. Juno rolled his eyes, turning back to the books on the shelf. “Sure, I know the basis of it. ‘Crime-Family-Slash-Entertainment-Network’, yes? One cannot pass through Mars without hearing the name ‘Kanagawa’. But you, Juno. . . You know them. Do tell me more.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno huffed, racking his brain for details. “Right, uh. . . You got the most of it, in their title. The twins, Cassandra and Cecil do pretty well on the showbiz side of things. . . Min, their stepmother, teaches them well, I guess. And Croesus. . . Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter now, does it?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, but it does. Surely you’re familiar with the Mask of Grimpotheuthis, right? The one on Mr. Kanagawa’s face?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, got a pretty good look at it,” Juno mumbled, “Unfortunately.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Attained from a tomb in Olympus Mons, Croesus wrote an agreement with the Olympus government, and-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Had his goons dig out the tomb, documents it, claims the mask with some stingy fine print, whole story gets national coverage, yadda yadda.” Juno interjected impatiently. “It’s all old news, now.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So you did your research, fine,” Glass grinned at the detective. “But are you familiar with Grim’s curse?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, come on-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s all rather macabre. Ancient scribes claim that any who should disturb the mask-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, Glass, you don’t actually believe Croesus was killed by some creepy curse, do you?” Juno scoffed, pausig his leisurely pace along the bookcases. The agent laughed - His laugh was carefree, Juno noticed. Soft and bewitching, like music.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, I believe the legend is rather absurd. But in our line of work, we must learn to expect the unexpected, no? I’m sure they taught you that in the academy.” Rex hummed, turning back to the rows upon rows of books. “And the twin we’re looking for now, Cecil Kanagawa - what do you have to say of him?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” One bookcase down. Juno moved to the next over and pulled on a blue, leather bound volume. No dice. “How do I put this. . . Did you see those weapons in some of the display cases earlier?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rex seemed to pause in thought for a moment, pulling books from the case two at a time now. “I do believe I recall,” he decided. “That hacksaw seemed like it was still covered in centuries-old blood.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, pretty nasty stuff, right? That’s Cecil’s little hobby,” Juno explained. “He’s probably got a whole arsenal.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did this hobby earn him that fancy arm?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno stopped his stroll down the balcony. He pulled a book.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Click.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The bookshelf in the center of the wall swung slowly open.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No,” Juno sighed, approaching the door. “That’s where the ‘Crime Family’ bit comes in. Cecil got himself into a mess with the Triad, and then I pulled him out of it. Just. . . Not in one piece,” he admitted.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Oh. Well, it’s no wonder, then, how you got so. . . mixed up with such a complicated family. I was sure it was something much more simple - marriage, adoption. . . Cousins, even- twice removed.” Rex chuckled. Juno peered down the now exposed corridor, and he saw. . . Himself.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a dim, eerie red light coming from the room, and when Juno looked closer he noticed that all the walls in the corridor were covered with mirrors. In fact, he couldn’t quite see it, but it seemed there were multiple twists and turns here and there.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Strange,” Glass evaluated. “This was supposed to be a short hallway, not a mirror maze. . .”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cecil, I bet,” Juno remarked, narrowing his eyes to try and get a better look. “Why else would they put this here?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Guest entertainment, perhaps?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doubt it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hm. Well, what are you waiting for, Juno? Afraid of your own reflection?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hardly. Isn’t there a faster way than getting lost in this maze?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Of course. There’s probably dozens of faster ways. However, it seems now that the young Mr. Kanagawa has been. . . Expecting us. Even if we get a little lost, I suspect this will take us right to him.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno pondered it for a moment, gazing down the empty hall of mirrors. They could get seriously turned around here, it may take them a while. . . But his curiosity got the best of him. Why would Cecil set this up? The whole thing had “trap” written all over it, sure, but it had to mean something.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Fine. Let’s check it out.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ladies first.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno grumbled something under his breath and reached into his pocket for his flashlight, clicking it on. The beam of light bounced and reflected across multiple mirrors, and Juno found that it hurt his eyes and only made him more disoriented, so he turned it back off and decided they’d continue in the dark. He took a tentative step into the hall, and when no traps or alarms were triggered, he began walking with Glass close behind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Juno. Does PI work usually bring you to dark and spooky carnival attractions?” Rex jested. His hands were folded behind his back as he walked, and the maze was eerily quiet, save for the sound of their echoing footsteps. Juno barked out a laugh.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, you’d be surprised.” He looked around, studying their surroundings. The pathways were just wide enough for him and Rex to walk side by side, with little room in between. The ceiling of the maze did not meet in an arch - instead, it was flat, and plated with more mirrors. The floors were glass too, and it made the two look like they were floating in midair. The red light was coming from circular bulbs hanging above them, and when reflected a million times, looked like dozens little red stars. They never ran into dead ends or had to turn around - everything was vaguely connected. Juno felt a headache blossoming due to the overwhelming surroundings, and pinched the bridge of his nose - and then stupidly walked right into a mirror. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno blinked and cursed softly, raising a hand to the spot that he’d bumped into.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Careful, Detective,” Came Glass’ teasing voice. The taller man chuckled and placed his hand on Juno’s shoulder. Through the reflection of the mirror he had just slammed his face into, Juno could see Rex’s amused smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?” The agent turned Juno’s body around to face him, and gingerly began to examine him. Juno muttered something about being fine, but oddly, he didn’t pull away. When he had finished his inspection of the shorter man, Rex pulled away, and put his hand out toward Juno.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Let’s make sure you don’t run into any more walls.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Reluctantly, Juno took it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The maze seemed to never end. As they walked, they kept their hands in front of themselves tentatively, or along the wall, every so often making contact with another glass wall they didn’t see before. With every twist and turn, though, it became easier.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everywhere Juno looked was enveloped in red, and in every reflection, Juno could see Glass. He was stunning, really, cloaked in red light. Something about it was menacing but at the same time, elegant. Occasionally, when he glanced at Glass’ reflection, he would find Glass looking back at him. Juno didn’t understand the expression Rex wore when he looked at him. A slight smile, brows slightly raised, eyes sparkling and full of </span>
  <em>
    <span>something.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p><span>What</span> <span>was that something?</span></p>
<p>
  <span>He was beginning to get sick of his own reflection - sick of this entire evening. He turned to Glass, intending to get a glimpse of him up close in the dim light for just a moment, and to his surprise he found the agent staring back at him. Glass flashed him that grin, full and sure, and Juno pushed down the feeling that began rising in his chest at the sight of it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to admit, Juno, I’m still curious about you.” Glass took long, delicate strides. Their difference in height, when Rex walked alongside Juno, made the agent’s pace look leisurely and meditative. "Care to tell me a bit more about yourself?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno opened his mouth to answer, but something shifted in the corner of his vision, a flicker in a reflection that wasn’t supposed to be there. He stopped abruptly, throwing his arm out to his side to stop Glass as well. Rex bumped into the detective’s outstretched arm and startled, only for a moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You know, Juno, if you didn’t wish to talk about it you could have-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shh!” Juno hushed. Glass immediately went silent, and Juno felt the man bristle next to him, ready for a fight. Juno glanced around frantically, but he was only faced with more mirrors - more eerie, red reflections of him and Glass.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A sound to his right. Something vaguely like rustling, quiet footsteps - and it wasn’t Glass, because Glass stood to his </span>
  <em>
    <span>left. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Juno whipped around immediately. There was another blink of something in a faraway reflection - to chase it in a labyrinth of glass would be stupid. On the other hand, if they stayed still, they’d be vulnerable. On the other hand, if they split up, they might have a chance, but would they be able to find each other again? On the other hand-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno heard heavy footfalls behind them and realized there </span>
  <em>
    <span>wasn’t </span>
  </em>
  <span> another hand.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“RUN!” Juno demanded, letting go of Glass’ hand and taking off to his right. Glass stumbled but quickly picked up the pace. It was difficult to run fast enough with such frequent turns in a narrow space. Vaguely, in a reflection ahead of them, Juno could see a bulky figure behind Rex, hot on their tails. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“There’s only one of them!” Juno panted, seeing a fork in the path up front. “Split up! I’ll take left!” He shouted over his shoulder, before breaking off to the side. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“We’ll meet back up!” Glass’ voice faded as Juno continued to run. Chancing another glimpse behind him, Juno briefly saw the figure in pursuit. He cursed under his breath.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a flash of white that reflected all across the mirrored surfaces of the hall, followed by the faint noise of a shutter, and Juno blinked against the blinding light, veering right when he reached another split in the passage. There was another flash, and then they began recurring like a strobe light, and Juno couldn’t see anything but flashes of red, and white. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He shouted in alarm as he charged headfirst into a wall with a sickening crack. He fell backwards, barely managing to break his fall, and though his vision was hazy he could see his reflection had splintered into a web of shards. He was panting heavily when he pulled his hand away from his head, and this time, there were droplets of blood dotting his fingertips. Juno squeezed his eyes shut and when he opened them again, he saw the figure approaching from close behind-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Shit. Shit-!</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno indistinctly heard the sound of Agent Glass calling his name from somewhere far away, his voice echoing through the glass jungle. Then, something blunt and heavy made contact with the back of his skull. As his eyes fluttered shut, Juno </span>
  <em>
    <span>swore</span>
  </em>
  <span> he saw the shutter of a camera.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <br/>
  <br/>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The first thing he felt when he came to was his head pounding, and the rapid pulse of his blood pumping in his ears. The second thing he felt was the burn of rope around his wrists, bound behind his back. He opened his eyes, only to be instantly dazed by a bright light coming from above him, which made his headache pulse with a greater intensity, so he closed his eyes again. He was sitting in a chair, and he winced when he tried to move. He was stiff and every part of him ached. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno had certainly been through worse before, though. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He decided to try opening his eyes again. This time, though his vision was still slightly blurry, it was a little easier to see than before. The first thing he noticed was that the floor was made of planks of deep, mahogany synth-wood - and he couldn’t find any walls around him, as he was surrounded by black velvet curtains. But when he looked up, the ceiling merely stretched into infinite black, save for a bright beam casting over his head. The sight puzzled him, and he couldn’t tell where the light was coming from, but attempting to focus on it only scattered his already frazzled brain. So instead, he turned away from it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Slowly, he tried to collect his thoughts, which at the moment felt like a shuffled deck of cards, but slowly, the red red mirror maze came back to him, and then it did all at once. Juno stiffened suddenly, and then so did the hairs on the back of his neck, and suddenly he felt alert like he’d been brutally awoken from a light slumber. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>Glass</span>
  </em>
  <span>?” Was the first word out of his mouth. It wouldn’t be good if the both of them had gotten caught. Maybe Juno had some beef with the Kanagawas, sure, but that didn’t mean a (very handsome) Dark Matters agent had to get mixed up in it too. After all, their organization prided themselves upon good, organized, strictly confidential work. Getting tangled up in the affairs of one of the biggest media companies in the universe isn’t exactly their standard protocol. But, if Agent Glass had escaped, maybe, Juno thought, </span>
  <em>
    <span>just maybe</span>
  </em>
  <span> there was a chance that Rex would-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Glass?” Came the reply, but. . . It wasn’t the Agent’s voice. “What do you mean by that, Junebug?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sensational voice, not to mention the nickname, it was the only evidence Juno needed to figure out where he was. He was still somewhere in the Kanagawa estate, or at least not far, because that was the voice of Cecil Kanagawa - the man he’d been looking for, and also, ironically, his current captor. Juno certainly would have wished for better circumstances, but he’d found the man nonetheless, hadn’t he?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cecil! Wow, good to see you, buddy!” Juno hollered in mock-excitement. “Long time no see, yadda yadda, hey, listen, we go way back, right? You got in a whole mix-up with the Triad, I save your life - well, except your arm, still sorry about that by the way - I think that’s enough to consider us friends, yeah, so uh, mind </span>
  <em>
    <span>untying me from this chair</span>
  </em>
  <span>?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, Juno, I’m sure under any other circumstances I would. But fortunately I have such fun plans for you today!” Cecil cooed. Juno glanced around the small enclosure he was in and quickly realized he couldn’t tell where Cecil’s voice was coming from. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Aw, shucks, well it was worth a shot,” Juno grumbled, tugging at his restraints to no avail. He tried to move his legs, only to realize that his ankles were also tied to the legs of the </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>chair. It seemed juvenile, really, how little he was truly restrained by (in comparison to chains or handcuffs) and how much he was struggling at the moment.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Be a dear now, Juno, the show’s about to start!” Cecil called. His voice boomed from everywhere and it only made Juno’s head pound harder. He barely registered the man’s words at first. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“The </span>
  <em>
    <span>what</span>
  </em>
  <span>!?” The detective pulled harder at his restraints, but realized he’d only be rewarded with more ropeburn. “Cecil!” He shouted. “Cecil, answer me, god damn it!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Welcome back, viewers! You’re watching: From the Jaws of Death! I am your host, Cecil Kanagawa - as I’m sure you all know.” Cecil chuckled, and his comment was followed by laughter and applause. Juno couldn’t tell if it was real or simulated. Had Cecil gotten the guests from the party to watch? </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Following our commercial break, it seems we’re due for a recap, aren’t we?” The crowd roared. Cecil continued, “A private detective and a mysterious friend - a friend with absolutely no record of </span>
  <em>
    <span>existing</span>
  </em>
  <span> - enter a strange mirror maze in search of. . . the Death Mask of Grimpotheuthis! It seems they got a little more than they bargained for though!” Cecil let out a roaring laugh, and the audience followed. “Now, I’m sure you’ve all been waiting on the edge of your seats since the jaw-dropping chase, and unfortunately, mysterious Mr. Rex Glass is nowhere to be found. . . Only time will tell if he’ll come through for our detective - Juno Steel!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The curtain began to lift. Juno struggled as the stage began to reveal itself to him, before opting to hide his face in his shoulder. But there was no point. There were camera men </span>
  <em>
    <span>everywhere.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Juno remembered, just then. He hadn’t seen one in a while, but they looked even more advanced than before. Every single one of them, high and low, above and below him, filling the entire “audience” - he couldn’t hide from their gaze. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The cheers from the audience were deafening now. Juno glared out at the sea of camera men, and their black lenses stared back at him, unresponsive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>You can probably assume what happens next, but it goes like this: Cecil threw Juno at a strange medieval torture machine, Juno narrowly escaped, and with a bit of help from Rita he discovered that the stream is not live, and that Cecil would probably had the footage in his weird cyber arm. And now Juno was being overrun by Cecil’s cameramen, and he couldn't find a way out of the studio, and he doesn’t have anything but his fists to fight back with-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A shot flew past his head and through the cameraman to his right. Then another blasted the circuits of the one that had Juno by the shoulders. Once he was free of it’s grip, Juno whipped around to look at where the shots came from -</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And Rex Glass was already fixing him with that coy smile. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And in a twist of events, our man of mystery returns!” Cecil gasped, and his Host Voice returned with full fervor. “I was planning on cutting out this part - but things just got a whole lot more interesting, folks!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno hated to admit it, but- he’d never been more relieved to see someone (aside from Rita). That feeling bubbled up in him again, the one that felt like sunbeams seeping through open blinds, but he couldn’t let it distract him. The moment of eye contact passed all too quickly, and immediately Rex was tossing the blaster his way. Juno caught it, turned around to face more cameramen, and began to fire. Two lenses shattered and their bodies crumpled to the floor. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Took you long enough to come find me!” Juno shouted.</span>
</p>
<p><span>“Yes, well, I did lose you in a </span><em><span>funhouse</span></em> <em><span>maze.</span></em><span>” Glass quipped back, pulling a knife from a sheath Juno hadn’t seen before. He slashed at a cameraman in front of him, but one came from behind and snagged his arm. Before he could even utter a request for help, Juno shot them both. </span></p>
<p>
  <span>“Wow, I- Well, I’m impressed, Juno! You’re not too bad a sh-!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, best sharpshooter you’ve ever seen, blah blah-” They were back to back now, fending off a horde of cameramen, and with every shot and slash they twitched and turned and stuttered, trying to find the best thing to film. “-heard all there is to hear, Glass! Listen, Cecil’s probably got all of his footage backed up on his arm. Footage with both our faces and names in it, and we both know that’s not good news to a PI and a Dark Matters agent. If we can get to it-” Juno sucked in a breath, took a shot at another cameraman barrelling toward them, and then exhaled. “-then we can delete it.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sounds easy enough,” Rex huffed, calling over his shoulder. “He left, just now, through that side door. I’d say he’s afraid of getting caught with it.” Juno heard the sickening squelch of a blade through flesh. He didn’t have to worry, though - it was followed by the telltale sound of a body falling to the floor, and the steady feeling of the Agent’s back against his was enough to tell that Glass was fine. That, and the spray of warm blood that scattered across Juno’s arm - a shame, really. The blouse Cecil had sent him was really the nicest thing he’d ever owned.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Eventually, they were able to weave away from the rest, and now the two of them dashed down another one of the estate's long halls. It hadn’t taken them too long to get away - Cecil couldn’t have gotten far, he had to be around there </span>
  <em>
    <span>somewhere</span>
  </em>
  <span>-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hello, Junebug!” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The sound came from above. Juno looked up to see Cecil, high above Rex, suspended on the ceiling, using his legs and some nasty looking claws coming from his bionic arm, which were planted in the wall. As soon as he’d been spotted, Cecil dropped down, and without thinking, Juno threw Glass out of the way. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno certainly broke Cecil’s fall. They both collapsed to the floor in a heap, Juno falling hard on his back and Cecil on top of him. The long, slender barbs on Cecil’s arm planted deep into the floor, narrowly missing Juno’s head. One had still managed to hit, though, slicing through the top of the tender muscle on Juno’s shoulder where his neck met his collarbone. He cursed and cried out in agony. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh- damn it, Juno, now I’m stuck!” Cecil whined as he tugged at the spikes, but they didn’t budge. Juno could only give a frustrated grunt in response, using his uninjured arm to strike Cecil’s with his fist, once, then again, and again, and again-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass delivered a firm kick and Cecil’s arm finally gave way and retracted the talons, but the recoil sent him flying off of Juno, and his back slammed hard against marble. Juno groaned and covered his bleeding wound with his free hand, applying pressure and willing it to stop bleeding. Agent Glass was on Cecil in an instant, and the front of his left shoe found a nice spot on his throat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, Mr. Kanagawa, it seems as if the show is over.” Juno slowly rose to his feet, picking up his blaster as Rex fixed a hard and threatening gaze on the man below him. “And unless you want me to snap your just </span>
  <em>
    <span>impossibly</span>
  </em>
  <span> skinny neck with these heels, I suggest you cooperate while Detective Steel destroys your precious recording. Isn’t that right, Juno?” The agent cast an expectant look at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno quickly complied, firing a round into Cecil’s bionic arm, which stuttered and sparked pathetically before shutting down. As soon as it did, Rex took his foot off Cecil’s throat, but kept the man pinned to the floor by moving it to his chest. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh- my arm! That was so expensive, you pr-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Stop whining, Cecil! You can salvage it. I only fried the data drive.” Juno sighed in exasperation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, you did. . . Well, could you maybe. . . Fire again? I mean I’m sure it would boost our ratings a whole bunch-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God, Cecil, enough! Croesus was murdered, you’re the culprit, just confess so I can </span>
  <em>
    <span>go home. </span>
  </em>
  <span>If I don’t patch up soon I’m gonna-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh-What? You mean- y-you mean daddy?” Cecil squirmed suddenly, pushing at Rex’s leg, which still firmly pinned him to the floor. “G-Get off of me! What do you mean, Junebug, wh-what happened to him!?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Cecil looked as if he was about to cry. Rex glanced at Juno, who hesitantly nodded, and moved his foot off the man’s chest - but kept his knife close to his side.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Don’t play innocent, Cecil.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m not! What happened to papa!?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well- he’s dead, Cecil. You. . . You didn’t know that?” Rex inquired, cocking his head slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“D-Daddums is- he’s-” Cecil’s voice took on a high whine, and soon, he began to bawl. “Ohh! Ohohoh, oh, when!? D-Did he forget to take his meds again? Ohoh, of course. . .” He could barely get anything out between sobs. Glass looked to Juno quizzically, and Juno merely sighed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Is. . . Um. . . Doesn’t this seem a bit. . . Theatrical, to you, Juno?” He asked, motioning toward Cecil, who was frantically dabbing at his eyes. Juno sighed again, this time louder and with more blatant annoyance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I can’t believe he’s gone! D-Dada! Diddy-doo. . . Pee-pawwhhahawhhh. . .” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re </span>
  <em>
    <span>sure</span>
  </em>
  <span> he’s being genuine?” Glass turned to Juno, and he too looked just as annoyed as the detective felt.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep. Believe it or not, this is just. . . Typical Cecil behavior.” Juno huffed. Cecil’s makeup was running wild down his face now. It’s not like he couldn’t afford waterproof makeup or anything - he just loved the drama of the distressed look so much.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Cecil, you and your family were both aware that Juno and I would be appearing tonight to watch over Grim’s Mask.” Rex began. “Then it disappears, from a case only Croesus’ - or his children’s - blood can open, and when we come to find you to interrogate you about it, you’ve set up an elaborate deathtrap for the both of us. Care to explain?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I just wanted you to be on the shooo-ho-hooow</span>
  </em>
  <span>!” Cecil wailed, wiping his tears but only managing to smear his streaked mascara all over his cheeks. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You wanted- oh, give me a break, Cecil, the last time I was on your show-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, I know, it was a ridiculous idea, getting intentionally kidnapped by the Triad, losing my arm and whatnot-  but the ratings were </span>
  <em>
    <span>gorgeous</span>
  </em>
  <span>, Juno! But because of your contracts we couldn’t publish your face, or your name, and the fans were just </span>
  <em>
    <span>dying</span>
  </em>
  <span> to know, so when you called I pretended to be my sister and then I got the whole set ready, and I stole the mask and handed it off to Cassie to get your attention and-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>what.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” Juno seethed. The adrenaline was wearing off and the aching pain in his shoulder was beginning to make itself known, as well as the bloodloss. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I-I stole the mask?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And gave it to Cassandra Kanagawa?” Glass supplied. Cecil nodded in affirmation.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, I gave it to her to watch, and. . . Wait, why? Did- Did she-?” Cecil’s eyes widened in horror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s possible,” The agent nodded slowly, “</span>
  <em>
    <span>If</span>
  </em>
  <span> your story is true. Do you know why she may have done it?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“N-No, I don’t think so. Daddy signed off on her show, she seemed so happy, I- I don’t know what would have c-caused her to- to-” Cecil broke down into violent sobs again, “-to kill him!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass sighed. “Well, Juno. . . I believe the HCPD could handle things from here-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Probably not. They make you sign something on the way in?” Juno knew exactly how the Kanagawas operated when it came to their family drama. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“A hundred creds says that it was a liability agreement. Right, Cecil?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Between sobs, Cecil muttered something along the lines of “Of course it was.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Rex, let’s just get out of here. I want to go home already, this family is giving me a headache.” Juno sighed in defeat, putting his blaster back in its holster.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, speaking of which, that wound on your shoulder seems to be quite literally bleeding you dry.” Rex remarked.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’ve had worse. No big deal.” Juno started walking down the hall, hoping it’d be a one-way trail to the front door. Rex followed behind, and the both of them ignored any further cries of protest from Cecil.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As soon as they left the hall through the next door they spotted, Juno weakened, and would have dropped to the floor if not for Glass being by his side to catch him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Easy, Juno, easy.” The agent’s tone was soft. “Don’t push yourself too hard. Are you alright?” Rex’s hands were careful on Juno’s shoulders, easing the detective into a sitting position, propped up against the wall. Juno halfheartedly waved his hands away in protest, but Glass held firm as he examined him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“M’ doin’ pretty fine, Glass, never been better.” Juno mumbled, leaning his head back against the wall and blinking up at the ceiling. His vision was swimming and his head felt fuzzy. The agent’s hands were gentle as he pushed the collar of Juno’s shirt aside to take a better look at his injury. From so close, Juno could smell the tang of that eccentric scent. “Hey, anyone ever tell you that you. . . Smell nice? I mean, how does a guy smell that </span>
  <em>
    <span>good</span>
  </em>
  <span>? Do you use some weird soap or-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s- It’s cologne, Juno. I use cologne.” The agent chuckled softly at his antics. “This is a nasty gash. I don’t have anything on me that I can treat it with,” Glass sighed and pulled away, standing straight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Ah that’s fine, I can manage till we get home-“</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“If by that you mean hardly being able to walk, I’m quite concerned for anything else you’ve had to ‘manage’ before.” Glass teased, and his playful tone returned. “I’m going to look for a first aid kit. Sit still, will you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> “Got nowhere else to go,” Juno chuckled and watched him as he left. He blinked, willing his eyes to focus for just a moment, and made a call on his comms. He didn’t trust anyone in the family, but Cecil’s confession was the only thing that made any sense, and it was clear the Kanagawas would rather handle things inside the family from here. But something wasn’t sitting right with him, and he couldn’t wrap his head around it. After the events of tonight, though, Juno wasn’t sure if the Kanagawas were the source of his problem anymore.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rex Glass was a man who was nothing short of electric. He had an incredible set of skills and cunning, he’d had his record scrubbed clean by Dark Matters - he was far stronger than he looked and far smarter than he allowed anybody to know. And damn, he was gorgeous. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something felt off about him though. Juno wasn’t even sure if Glass was actually employed by Dark Matters, so he’d have to check with Sasha later - and even if he was, he lacked a certain attitude that all DM agents had. They were normally a stuck-up and direct bunch, people who prioritized the job and the job only, and if they were on a solo mission they usually liked to keep it that way - so Juno didn’t understand why Glass would go through all this trouble with him. It didn’t make sense, the way that Glass held his hand, or asked to learn more about him, the way he cleaned his wounds, and came back for him after they split in the maze, and helped him fend off cameramen instead of going for answers from Cecil. Juno was only slowing him down, why did he bother?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Even though Rita picked up his call, he hardly had any time before Glass returned. He’d have to sort it out later.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hope I didn’t keep you long,” Glass knelt down on the floor in front of Juno, first aid kit in hand. “Are you feeling well? You seemed to be talking to yourself.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Just had to call my secretary, make sure she had everything in order in case the operation goes wrong.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass let out a soft, amused laugh. “Oh, she’ll hardly need it, Detective. You’re in good hands.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Ginger hands returned to tend to him. Glass began to unbutton Juno’s blouse, and once it was loose enough, he pushed it off the detective shoulders. Juno moved his head to the side so Rex could have better access to the cut. Something soft scrubbed gently away at the blood.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He let himself slump forward slightly, his forehead coming to rest on Rex’s shoulder. He took in another deep breath, taking in that scent - it was oddly comforting. Juno wished he could wrap himself in it somehow.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“So, Detective. What do you make of all this?” Rex asked. Juno could hardly focus when he was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>close </span>
  </em>
  <span>like this, but he willed himself to remember his suspicions from before. He couldn’t let himself be deceived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, obviously Cass lied to us. Cecil’s show is still on air, he just tried to record another episode of it. Of course, we don’t have any access to sufficient evidence, but. . . It’s the only real explanation.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“But you don’t sound satisfied with that answer.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, I’m not. I mean, that should be it, right? Jealous sister sees her opportunity to take back what she wants, and she does it. But it feels like it's missing something.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Perhaps there’s still time to figure it out, then.” </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>They ended up figuring it out moments later. Min Kanagawa was the issue that Juno couldn’t understand. Throws a huge party, her husband dies, and she’s nowhere to be found. And then they finally find her, and Cass has her at gunpoint. The story was simple - Min forged some paperwork, Cass got angry at the wrong person, and she did the job for her stepmother just fine. Of course, there was hardly anything Juno and Rex could do about it, and they could never find the supposed documents or any better evidence. Min was good at hiding things, and she denied any word of it, and with a prescription for anti-hallucinogens to top it all off. . . The case simply appeared to be a freak accident. The family would handle it, and even then the worst Cass would get is house arrest or probation. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno nearly felt disappointed to see Cass like that, though. There was that fire in her eyes that he recognized, but it was ten times more intense and fueled by fear. He almost felt bad, having to apprehend her. He didn’t think she was a killer, and it was mostly an accident, but she confessed. She took the mask, she put it on Croesus, and he was gone. And Min took it from there, just like she took the whole company from under Croesus’ dead body.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So they were seen out, and they returned to Hyperion City. The party had ended a while ago, anyway. It was raining by the time they got back, and Juno pulled his coat closer to protect himself from the cold. They stopped by his office to put the mask away in his safe, and Juno told Rita to go home for the night. A follow-up was possible, but the PI registry was closed by that time, and honestly - any further investigation would only get them more tangled up in the Kanagawa web, which was a dangerous game to play. Juno was just about done with that family.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He was angry, to say the least. The whole thing made him feel sick. If he could, he wouldn’t rest until he found reason to arrest Min, but he was already so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>tired from the Martian artifacts investigation, and-</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>. . . And, well, Glass gave him an offer he couldn’t refuse. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“It’s so cold out tonight,” Glass mused. His coat was white, stark against the dark fabric of his dress. “We’ve quite a while until the registry opens, Juno. Perhaps you wouldn’t mind taking me someplace warmer?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But Hyperion City was asleep. Shop windows were dark and empty, doors were locked - you couldn’t even hear the sound of lively music coming from a nearby bar or club. It was just the city, the rain, and the two of them, under the light of a streetlamp.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Bit late for that, Glass. Look around. Just about every spot is closed ‘round this time.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I didn’t mean dinner, Juno.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Oh.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>So they went back to Juno’s place, and as soon as he was through the door he went straight for the kitchen, rummaging until he found a bottle of scotch and a glass. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well. . . The hard part is over. All’s well that ends well, yes?” Glass hummed, leaning his elbows on the island in the middle of the kitchen. Juno ignored the comment, in favor of pouring himself a shot. Glass took notice of this. “Oh, you don’t plan on staying quiet for the rest of the evening, do you? I understand you’re more of the silent type, and sure it has its charm, but-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno’s glass slammed back down on the counter after he knocked back the shot. Glass fell quiet. He sighed and tried to cushion the tension. “Not really. . . Feeling celebratory right now, Rex.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juno. . . You know you didn’t do anything wrong, right? Regardless of how it happened, she murdered her father. Nothing was your fault.” The agent’s tone became softer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Then why does it feel so bad?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Yeah. That’s true.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have to ask you, Juno.” Glass prompted. He had left his prior position, propped up on the island, and Juno heard him cross the kitchen and fall into place right next to him. “At the beginning of the night, you thought I was your thief. So why dance with me?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno turned away from his reflection in the bottom of his glass and looked up at Rex. The man’s dark hair was still glistening, damp with rain, as was the surface of his pale skin, which was just slightly dewy. Juno noticed. . . That, instead of the agent’s eyes being full of bemusement, there was something different this time. More genuine than cunning. Just a hint of it, but it was there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>For some reason, though Juno didn’t know how to put a name to the feeling yet, he understood. He knew he felt the same. It was so foreign to him, the idea of it even, but he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew.</span>
  </em>
  <span> There was something so tentative about it, like plucking the strings of an acoustic guitar. Like wind sifting through your hair. Like lighting a candle in the dark of the night, pulling away just before the flame catches your fingertips. Like picking a flower off a stem, and tucking it behind your ear. It feels like dancing, both fast and slow, turning and spinning and dipping low, and being so, </span>
  <em>
    <span>so </span>
  </em>
  <span>close the whole time. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Being with Glass felt like dancing. An elaborate dance that Juno hardly knew the steps to, but every time he slowed down or tripped over his own feet, Glass would simply pause. He would help Juno pick himself up, and begin dancing again, slower each time until Juno knew the steps enough to pick up speed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . You don’t have to go, Rex.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, but I do, Juno. But for tonight. . .” Glass raised a hand, and when Juno didn’t pull away, cupped the side of his face softly. Just barely, Juno leaned into the touch. “For tonight, the world can wait.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno leaned up and let their lips meet. The first was always exhilarating, but this. . . Glass’ lips were soft as silk, almost intoxicating, not to Juno’s surprise. It began chaste, and timid, but still sure, and as soon as they pulled away they were moving back in for more. Their coats fell to the floor, strong hands found their ways to exposed skin, through dark locks of hair, across Juno’s back and along Glass’ waist. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rex’s hands fumbled briefly at the buttons on Juno’s blouse, and they came undone one at a time, before Glass pushed the light fabric off his shoulders a little too eagerly. Juno hissed a bit when the collar just barely caught his stitches, and Glass froze and pulled away slightly.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Are you alright?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, yeah, fine, just - caught the stitches a bit, ‘m fine-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Come to think of it, you’re still a little worse for wear.” Rex observed, gently swiping at some dried blood at the crest of his forehead from when Juno broke the mirror earlier. Glancing over the rest of the detective’s now exposed skin, he could see many more smaller cuts and abrasions, probably from the cameramen and Cecil’s “gameshow”. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“C’mon, Glass, I don’t need you to baby me.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Please, Juno, I know what I’m doing. We can do this just fine without tearing your stitches, but let me patch you up first. It won’t take long.” Glass rested his hand on Juno’s good shoulder and gave it an affirming squeeze.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“</span>
  <em>
    <span>I’ll</span>
  </em>
  <span> be just fine, Glass, there’s no need for you to-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I want you to feel good, Juno.” Rex levelled him with a patient stare. “It’s my last night on Mars, and frankly it’s been a very </span>
  <em>
    <span>long </span>
  </em>
  <span>one for both of us, and we both deserve some proper time to unwind. And I’d rather you be completely comfortable for that.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno’s mouth went dry, and he swallowed. And then he slowly nodded. Wordlessly, and hand-in-hand, they went from the kitchen to the bathroom, where Juno sat on the counter while Glass rummaged around for some first aid materials. Juno simply closed his eyes and breathed as the taller man carefully cleaned the blood off and disinfected where he needed to, delicately caring for every little cut, scrape, and bruise. It. . . It felt nice. As much as he hated to admit it - Juno was often rather detached from this type of intimacy. The kind that was unconditional, and kind. To receive it was one of the most refreshing things he’d felt in a while.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Feel better?” When he’d finished, Glass put everything back into the medicine cabinet, before turning to face Juno again. He only barely stood above Glass’ height when he sat atop the bathroom counter.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, just peachy,” Juno replied, but there was a look in his eye that said otherwise. Rex’s brow furrowed in confusion.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juno, if you don’t want to do this, I won’t push you.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No, it’s not that I don’t want to, Rex, god, I just-” Juno sighed. He couldn’t look Glass in the eye, especially not when the man was looking at him with such concern. Like he was hurt, or something. Like he was broken.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What is it?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I just don’t understand why you care about me so much,</span>
  </em>
  <span> Juno thought, but he didn’t think it was appropriate to say it. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Why you keep trying to get closer, and closer when I barely know who you are. Why?</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I’m just </span>
  <em>
    <span>tired.</span>
  </em>
  <span>” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass nodded in understanding. “That’s perfectly fine, Juno. If you want me to go, I’ll see myself ou-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No- no,” Juno said a little too quickly. “You don’t have to leave, just. . .” He trailed off.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Do you want me to stay the night?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>A long pause.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Yeah.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass stayed. Juno made them both something to eat, got them clothes to change into for bed, and everything. It was unusually domestic and while Juno was somewhat unsure the whole time, every time Rex would steal a kiss or wrap his arms around Juno (he would always ask first, since Juno seemed so distant, which was appreciated), Juno felt more and more at home. It was comfort, Juno realized, Rex was comforting him. And Juno didn’t know </span>
  <em>
    <span>why, </span>
  </em>
  <span>or what made him deserving of it, but then again Glass hardly knew anything about Juno either. Still, it all felt so genuine. Juno wasn’t sure what to make of it. It scared him, at first, and for the most part it still did. But also, it made Juno feel </span>
  <em>
    <span>warm,</span>
  </em>
  <span> and frankly he still wasn’t sure if that terrified or delighted him. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>When Juno awoke the next morning, he had expected to find himself alone, surrounded by cold and empty sheets. Instead, he was confronted with warmth, and arms wrapped firmly around him. Gentle, even breath against the back of his neck. Blankets wrapped around the both of them, safe and secure, and the rhythmic sound of rain coming from the open window. A light draft came through the window as well, not too cold but not warm either. Warm sun cascaded over the two of them.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was so serene, it nearly made Juno forget about everything else. For just a moment, it was only him and Rex Glass, no stolen martian artifacts, no private eye work, no Kanagawa family. Just Juno and this man that he fell for in a single night.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But the world is cruel, sometimes. And Juno Steel had responsibilities that had waited for long enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He wriggled out of the taller man’s grip and shifted to a sitting position in bed. Rex stirred beside him, before his eyes blinked slowly open. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Up so soon?” He mumbled in a groggy voice, rising in bed next to Juno. “Are you feeling alright?” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Better than yesterday,” Juno admitted, chancing a look at Rex. He had an absentminded smile on his face, and Juno watched as the agent’s eyes studied his face carefully. There was something so </span>
  <em>
    <span>soft</span>
  </em>
  <span> about how Glass looked at him.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Has anyone ever told you how handsome you are?” He mused. His hand raised to rest across the back of Juno’s neck. “Is it. . . Alright if I kiss you, Juno?” Glass asked, his smile widening ever so slightly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>How could he say no to that?</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>His face felt warm and his heart jumped in his chest, but he nodded, leaning in and pressing their lips together. It was chaste and gentle, and it was over in a single moment, but it still made something in him flutter. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should get ready for work,” Juno murmured when he pulled away, his forehead resting against Rex’s. He closed his eyes and tried to savor the moment a minute longer. They’d have to say their goodbyes soon and leave this in the past, likely. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Me too,” Glass chuckled, stealing another kiss. “I suppose our time together is up.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah,” Juno huffed softly, pulling away and throwing the blankets off of him as he got out of bed. “Have any time for breakfast?” He offered.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Hardly. I’d hate to keep Dark Matters waiting. I would have left in the middle of the night, but. . . Well, it’s like I said. The world could wait for one night, but not for today.” Glass huffed as he rose from the bed. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno grabbed a set of clothes for the day and retreated to the bathroom to get ready. As he changed, he made sure to check his stitches and everything else from the events of last night. When he returned to his room, Glass was already dressed - he wore the same gown from the previous night, but he looked much more casual now. The clothes Juno had lent him overnight were folded in a neat pile at the foot of the bed. Glass glanced up at him and flashed him that smile again, though, now it seemed bittersweet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I should go now,” Rex informed him</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Right.” Juno sighed and nodded. “I’ll um. . . Well, maybe someday I’ll see you again?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span> It was an empty promise.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Maybe someday.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was a brief pause. Standing in the middle of the room, looking at each other. . . Neither made a move to leave. Neither seemed like they </span>
  <em>
    <span>wanted </span>
  </em>
  <span> to leave. The tension between them was electric, and Juno felt a sharp pang of strong, painful </span>
  <em>
    <span>yearning.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Something softened in Glass’ expression, suddenly, and he sighed. “I. . . I don’t exactly want to go, but. . . But I have a job I can’t afford to lose right now.” He admitted. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yeah, um. . . I wish you could stay, too. But we both have too much. . .” Juno sighed in frustration. “Responsibility.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass said nothing. Instead he just stepped closer, until he and Juno were nearly chest-to-chest, and leaned down for one last kiss.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rex Glass was like fire. It fills you with warmth. It rejuvenates you, makes you feel alive, invigorated. But it can also destroy. And if you play with it too much, well. . .</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno made the mistake of not pulling away from the flame quick enough. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno felt Glass reach for his safe key, with purpose and full intent. He didn’t just feel it physically - he </span>
  <em>
    <span>felt</span>
  </em>
  <span> it, in every part of him, this growing feeling of dread, of impending doom. He didn’t want to believe it at first, but Glass took the key and slipped it out of his pocket with so much ease that Juno would have hardly noticed if he didn’t pay attention. He bristled, but tried to remain discreet. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>All of a sudden Juno felt hot with shame, anger and apprehension all at once. It was a sickening feeling. It made him want to keel over and throw up, but he had to push it down to the bottom of the garbage bin for now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno pulled away slowly, at a loss for breath and for words, and it wasn’t because of the kiss this time. Glass was gazing at him, expression unreadable. Juno reached for the agent’s hand and took it in his, calmly, carefully, trying not to set off the alarms in his brain too quickly. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rex. . .”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He knew now. He fucking </span>
  <em>
    <span>knew, </span>
  </em>
  <span>he had known it all along too, he’d just been too </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid </span>
  </em>
  <span>to realize. Too caught up in this beautiful man’s looks, in the smell of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> cologne, in the curve of his </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid</span>
  </em>
  <span> smile, in the way that he had pretended to care for him, stupid, </span>
  <em>
    <span>stupid, stupid-</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>In one swift motion. Juno swiped the handcuffs from his belt and closed the one cuff around Glass’s wrist, and while he still had him off-guard, caught his other wrist behind his back and slammed the cuff closed on that one too. He dialed the HCPD on his comms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rex Glass, you’re under arrest.” Juno breathed. He was so </span>
  <em>
    <span>angry. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Angry at himself, angry at the Kanagawas, angry at Rex, at everything. There was a fire burning now, deep inside him, and it wasn’t like the warmth of a hearth on a rainy night - no, it was a wildfire, one that eats everything in its path and leaves nothing but death and scarred, blackened earth. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh! J-Juno, this is hardly the time for-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“God damn it, Glass, I mean it!” Juno cried, trying to keep his hands from trembling with rage. How could he joke like this, so shamelessly? “It was you. Fucking, it was you the </span>
  <em>
    <span>whole </span>
  </em>
  <span>time, you used me like I was your damn puppet, you- and I knew it, too! I suspected you from the beginning, but still, I-” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I let you in.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He took a deep breath, trying to collect himself. “You’re under arrest for attempted theft of Grimm’s Mask-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I have no idea what you’re insinu-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“And don’t even lie to me because I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know </span>
  </em>
  <span>you just snagged my safe key from me, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>bastard.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“. . . Alright, I admit it. I was going to steal the mask last night, yes, but obviously the Kanagawa siblings sort of. . . Derailed my plans. And so did you. I had to get to your safe, so. . . So, yes, I guess I did use you, Juno. I’m s-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Who </span>
  <em>
    <span>are </span>
  </em>
  <span>you?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“That depends who’s asking. Right now, I answer to Rex Glass, for Dark Matters. Last week it was something entirely different. Tomorrow, it’ll probably change as well. My name will hardly help you track me down. But, meaningless as it is, you must understand that my name is </span>
  <em>
    <span>very</span>
  </em>
  <span> important to me, Juno. And I wouldn’t hand it to someone unless they were very important.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Glass - or whatever his real name was - looked </span>
  <em>
    <span>amused.</span>
  </em>
  <span> He didn’t look like he’d been caught red-handed, no. He looked like a cat who’d gotten the cream, and it nearly infuriated Juno. All of it was fake. It had to be. And Juno felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful</span>
  </em>
  <span> for falling for it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I already called the HCPD. They’ll be here to pick you up in five minutes, and put you away. And y’know what? I bet you they can link you to all those other Martian artifact thefts. And if they can’t, </span>
  <em>
    <span>I </span>
  </em>
  <span>will. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> it was you, Glass, and you’re out of places to run now. I finally caught you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“I suppose you have. For now,” Glass sighed. “You’ll find it useful to learn that I have friends in high places. But, if I may suggest-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You got about three minutes now, so make it quick.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You’re in a tough position right now, Juno. The Kanagawas don’t exactly seem friendly with you at the moment. This could put you in danger. At a moment like this, it would be most convenient if one could just. . . Disappear.” His lips curled up into that smile again. That fox’s smile. Sharp and dangerous. Deceiving. A trap Juno had fallen right into. “I can help you disappear, Juno. Come with me.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Like </span>
  <em>
    <span>hell</span>
  </em>
  <span> I will! Like hell you’ll even get out of this one-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yes, yes, we’ll see. Look, Juno. Your name, your life in Hyperion City, all your problems would vanish. We could travel across the galaxy, never staying anywhere, always perpetually in the process of going somewhere. It would be a simple life.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“You </span>
  <em>
    <span>lied</span>
  </em>
  <span> to me,” Juno seethed.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Did I? Or did I just withhold the truth?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What the hell are you-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“No matter. Perhaps it’s best that’s what you think before we leave off.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The door opened, then, and two HCPD officers in pressed uniforms entered. Juno let go of whatever he was planning to say next and turned to face them. One, he vaguely recognized. Didn’t remember the name, but the face was familiar, and the officer seemed to recognize him too. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Steel. No surprise you’ve been spending your PI time with a treasure thief.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Yep, yep, great to see you too-” Juno glanced at the name embroidered on the uniform- “McRoy. Just be careful with this one. I wouldn’t take my eye off him if I were you.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Doubt it. If </span>
  <em>
    <span>you</span>
  </em>
  <span> caught him, he must be a real sweetheart.” McRoy and the other officer took Glass by both arms, leading him out. The thief spared Juno one last glance as he stepped out of Juno’s sight.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Think about it, Juno.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“When I’m dead, maybe.” Juno spat. He addressed the officers again. “I’ll be down by the station soon.” </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Farewell, then, Juno. </span>
  <em>
    <span>Maybe someday.</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>And he was gone. Just like that. A brilliant flash in Juno’s life, quick as a firework. There, in all of its bright color and glory, and then burnt out and gone. That. . . Cologne, he could still smell it in the air and Juno knew it would remain there for weeks. Reminding him of his mistake. His failure. He’d caught the guy, sure, but. . . He wished, </span>
  <em>
    <span>god he wished</span>
  </em>
  <span> it had been under different circumstances.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He made a beeline for the kitchen to fix himself another drink. He needed just a moment to collect himself before he went down to the station. The bottle and the glass were still sitting there as they had been the night before. He poured out a shot and knocked it back with ease. The burn was hardly any comfort. He felt empty again, and this time there was no warmth in his stomach when he drank.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was like he was floating. Nothing tangible, nothing was there to tether him to reality, just a void of nothing but him and his reflection in the bottom of the glass. It didn’t feel real. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>There was something small and white on the floor, something that had never been there before. Juno approached it hesitantly, and kneeled down to pick it up. A crumpled piece of paper with his name in wobbly handwriting on it. And it smelled so strongly of that cologne. He. . . Must have written it behind his back, while handcuffed. Of course. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno’s eyes darted across the page feverishly - </span>
  <em>
    <span>one last glimpse of me - public access feed - Mercury Drive - Vulcanis Way - </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Get a good look, Detective. It may be your last.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>I do hope it isn’t, though. I meant every word I said, Juno. Even before you arrested me. I do hope you know that. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Think about my offer, I implore you. I’ll be waiting for you to join me. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Signed,</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Your Better Half</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <b>
    <em>Peter Nureyev.</em>
  </b>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Juno let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding, and bolted upright to call Rita on his comms.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The dial tone beeped when she picked up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rita! Rita, I need-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Oh, hiiii Mistah Steel, I’m gettin ready right now and I’m about to head to the office, what-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Enough, Rita- stay out of the office today.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Mistah Steel, you know I appreciate a vacation more than anyone but why do-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Rita I need you to get me through to Sasha Wire, </span>
  <em>
    <span>now! </span>
  </em>
  <span>Stay out of the office!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Wh- the Dark Matters lady? Alright, whatever you say, Mistah Steel.” Rita yawned, and Juno could hear the quick tapping of her fingers against her comms. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>On his comms, Juno tapped into the public access feed on the </span>
  <em>
    <span>exact</span>
  </em>
  <span> route Glass- no, no, Nureyev had listed in the note.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Shit! </span>
  <em>
    <span>Shit!</span>
  </em>
  <span>”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>. . . He had kept his word. Route 742, Mercury Drive, not too close to Vulcanis way. The squad car was ramped up halfway on the sidewalk, and just outside of it, the two officers that had picked him up, hogtied and gagged on the concrete. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Damn it!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>That </span>
  <em>
    <span>bastard.</span>
  </em>
  <span> Months, </span>
  <em>
    <span>months</span>
  </em>
  <span> Juno had spent looking for him, and when he’d </span>
  <em>
    <span>finally </span>
  </em>
  <span>had him, he was gone. And to top it all off, he’d made a fool of himself doing it. Juno felt completely vacant. Played. He barely registered the beeping of his comms, and Sasha Wire’s voice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Juno, you </span>
  <em>
    <span>know</span>
  </em>
  <span> this is a confidential line-”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Sasha, did you guys employ a man named Rex Glass to go to the Kanagawa estate last night?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? How did you know- why? Where is he?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno took a few deep, shaky breaths. “I-I wish I knew, Sasha.”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“What? Juno, what happened?”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Y’know, if you stopped by for a few drinks for once, maybe I could tell you.” Juno snapped, trying to erase the image of Peter Nureyev from his mind.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>“Well, you can tell me </span>
  <em>
    <span>now</span>
  </em>
  <span>- Juno? Juno!”</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno hung up.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He should be used to it. That’s how things rolled in Hyperion City, after all. You could never trust anybody. Juno should have stuck to that. But, you get hurt, you pick yourself up. You patch up your wounds and you let your scars turn pale. At the end of the day, it's just another notch in the wood. And for a little while, the world seems to change. Everything changes, for just a moment. And then it’s back to routine. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it hurt so </span>
  <em>
    <span>bad.</span>
  </em>
  <span> That iron grip from the night before, the one that had seized his heart when he’d met Nureyev, the very feeling he’d been afraid of - now it wasn’t just squeezing. It was twisting and tugging and it felt like it was trying to </span>
  <em>
    <span>crush </span>
  </em>
  <span>him, and no matter how much he choked and cried and screamed, it wouldn’t go away. It was abysmal.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno drank and drank until he was numb. Until his thoughts were swimming too fast for him to hold onto them for more than a second. He collapsed on the couch and was out like a light, wrapped up in nothing but the sound of rain and the smell of Peter Nureyev.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>You must understand that my name is very important to me, Juno. And I wouldn’t hand it to someone unless they were very important.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Juno slipped away into sleep. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He hadn’t wanted to do it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It hurt him, reaching for the key. But he had no other choice. Miasma was a powerful woman, and now he was indebted to her, and he couldn’t leave it behind just yet. If he did, he would put not only himself, but also Juno at risk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>But it had felt </span>
  <em>
    <span>awful. </span>
  </em>
  <span>Especially that one, painful last glance, with Juno’s eyes so full of </span>
  <em>
    <span>anger</span>
  </em>
  <span>, and </span>
  <em>
    <span>hurt- </span>
  </em>
  <span>and the worst part was that he had to play it off as if he didn’t regret anything.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He did regret it.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter Nureyev had stolen that safe key and, with it, he discarded likely every ounce of trust (and possibly affection) Juno had accumulated for him in the night prior. Every stolen moment. Every glance in the mirror maze, every twist and turn of their dance in the ballroom, every kiss in Juno’s apartment. Peter had forsaken all of it. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In a single night Juno Steel had changed just about everything, he had given Nureyev something he thought he wasn’t allowed to have before, and in the end, he’d thrown it away.</span>
</p>
<p><span>He hadn’t wanted to hurt him. He didn’t want to betray him, maybe,</span> <span>if he’d just had more </span><em><span>time</span></em><span>-</span></p>
<p>
  <span>Peter shook his head. It was pointless thinking of the </span>
  <em>
    <span>what ifs.</span>
  </em>
  
</p>
<p>
  <span>He still had a job to do.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He’d have to leave it in the past. That was the way of life for a nameless thief.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>In the back of his mind, he could still feel it. Chapped lips pressed to his and scarred skin under his fingertips.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Peter looked up just as the officers turned onto Mercury Drive. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>Showtime.</span>
  </em>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Thank you so much for reading! I'm sorry if this rewrite is at all weird? I know its canon divergence technically but it was a little difficult this time around, so any constructive criticism or correction on mistakes is appreciated! Maintaining a film noir aesthetic is a bit hard (it's mainly in my imagination) but I'm sort of learning as I go since I've never really posted on the Archive before. I adore this relationship and all these characters and I love doing writing for it, though!</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This is a full Murderous Mask rewrite so this isn't the end! I'll likely be rewriting Train from Nowhere-Final Resting place as well, and me and Sam are constantly thinking of other AU's so, with the time I've been given due to the current pandemic shutting down literally everything, hopefully this is the start of something great.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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